who will you be remembering?

[Skipman]

As it comes up to another 1st day somme anniversary,who will you be remembering?I will be thinking of my great uncle,private Norman Farnhill.12125 8th york&lancaster regt,missing 1/7/16 somewhere in front of Authuille.Thiepval memorial.Not forgotten.

[gnr.ktrha]

Two soldiers spring to mind. One is 21/15 Cpl Thomas Wallace, A Company, 21st Battalion [2nd Tyneside Scottish] Northumberland Fusiliers. Killed in Action that day and remembered on the Theipval memorial.

The other is a Private called George Smith, from Bradford. He enlisted in April 1915 into the 2nd Bradford Pals Battalion, 18th West Yorkshire Regiment. He was transferred to the 10 W. Yorks. On the 1st of July 1916 he was wounded and captured, so it seems likely that he was in his battalions 'first wave to go over the top.' He died of wounds as a Prisoner of War, on the 23rd July 1916.

Rest in peace.

Stewart

[Malcolm]

Private George Cairns Downie 19188 16 th Royal Scots 01/07/1916 Thiepval

Private Frederick Lewis 19048 16 th Royal Scots 01/07/1916 Thiepval

Fred Lewis was hit in the throat as he straightened up having pulled his wounded pal Private Willie Ellis into a shell hole.

McCrea's Battalion pp 159 to 161.

Private Frank McCue 18647 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers 01/07/1916 Thiepval

Private Frank Byrne 186460 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers 08/07/1916 Doullens

Frank McCue and Frank Byrne were classmates. Frank McCue was kia, Frank Byrne died of wounds from the same 4th Division attack of 1st July. Having watched the attacks failing since 7.40am and not receiving any orders to halt the attack the Dubs went over at 9.30am.

All young lads from my local area.

Aye

Malcolm

[burlington]

I will be there (Auchonvillers) on 1 July BUT with no motorised transport.

If anyone wants a location pic close by on 1 July, then I would be happy to oblige if I can.

Martin

[1st east yorks]

I will be thinking of my Great Grand Father Private Robert May,1st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment,killed on July 1st North of Fricourt.I shall also be thinking about all the lads who lost their lives that day.

Anthony.

[Guest tafski]

will be remembering all ,who gave their all on this day

forever in our thoughts

tafski

[stevem49]

As with every day of every year, I will remember all of those he died for their Country (no matter what country that was or is)

steve m

[Just Barbara]

I will remember my grandfather in particular, John Alexander Whitley , he was a lance sargeant in the Royal Irish Rifles. Machine gunned and left for dead on the wire, he eventually managed to drag himself back to his own lines. The first time I read an account of the first day of the Battle of the Somme I cried.

Barbara

[jay dubaya]

will be remembering all ,who gave their all on this day

forever in our thoughts

...and being a Sheffield lad born and bred, I'll have an extended moments thought for those lads of the 12th Y&L who fell in front of Serre and the handfull that made it through into the village

Jon

[old-ted]

Hello to all Pals,

we will be remembering all the Seaham Lads of the Tyneside Scottish & Tyneside Irish Brigades of 34th Div. who lost their lives or received fatal wounds at and around La Boiselle on 1/7/16.

"Keep The Candle Burning"

John & Kathleen (Seaham & the Great War Anthology Project)

[tommy mcclimonds]

I will be remembering all who fell on 1st July but especially the 49 Banbridge "Lads Who Marched Away" and were killed in action on 1st July 1916. Only 7 have the honour of a known grave and the other 42 are remembered by name on the Thiepval Memorial.

"They Are Not Gone, We Have Not Forgotten Them"

Tommy

[*sparkle*]

I'm not an expert in anything WW1 and only remember some bits from the coverage in history lessons a few years ago.

In the past day or so I've been reading about the Somme, and in particular, the background and an account of the first day of the Somme. Its strange that I've decided to read it now as until a couple of days ago I simply didnt know about the significance of July 1st.

So although I have no specific man to think about, I'm going to have some quiet contemplation and remember all the men who died and were injured in the big push on that terrible first day.

Very sobering. July 1st is not a date that I will ever forget from now on.

Tx

[Arthur J]

Goes without saying Great Uncle James see below, along with all the brave souls who suffered on that ill fated day.

[Brummie Nick]

My thoughts will be for my Uncle Fred Newman,

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...asualty=1547413

[Matt Dixon]

2nd Lt Kingsley Fradd, who lied about his age to go and fight and was killed not far from Croisilles.

[John_Hartley]

I'll be remembering Corporal Frank Gosling, 1st Platoon, "A" Company, 17th Battalion, Manchester Regiment.

On 1 July 1916, along with his Company comrades (including my grandfather, Tom Brough) he attacked German positions at Montauban. As far as I know, like Tom, he came through the day unscathed.

He was captured two years later (presumably serving with another unknown unit, as the 17th was no longer an effective fighting unit by then) and died on 1 July 1918 from his wounds at a German field hospital at Neubreach. A single man, Frank had worked as a solicitor's clerk in Manchester. He was 37 when he died. This year is, of course, the 90th aniversary of his death.

John

[MACRAE]

will be remembering all ,who gave their all on this day

forever in our thoughts

tafski

I think Bruce has said it all we should remember all of those brave men whom sacraficed there lives on 1st of July. By all means think of your own relitive first but spare a moment for those who died beside them as some of those brave men may have no family left to remember them .

Dan

[NeilEvans]

I'd also say all, and those who had to live with it.

Neil

[MACRAE]

I'd also say all, and those who had to live with it.

Neil

Yes Neil I agree I should have put that in my original reply.

Dan

[NeilEvans]

Out of all my Shropshire memorials so far (4,500 men) only 14 Shropshire men fell on the first day. A very low figure i think.

Neil

[PhilB]

I sadly recall all those fine men like the ones in the photos, row after row in the Accrington Observer. Ordinary men who`d rushed to volunteer, been in training for nearly two years and were destroyed in 10 minutes in unnecessary thousands. Quoting the OH:-

"When opponents are equally matched the losses of the attackers are expected to be less than those of the defenders. That the disproportion at the Somme was not greater must be ascribed to the insufficient number of heavy howitzers possessed by the British; to the inadequate training of the troops; to the unevenness in the fighting value of the different divisions; to faulty tactics, as exemplified by the terribly heavy losses, over 57,000, on the first day of assault; and to the failure of the commanders of the higher formations to consult, or accept the views when offered of the forward leaders. Had it not been for the first day`s unnecessary slaughter, when the heavier losses might reasonably have been expected to have befallen the defenders, in prisoners if not in other classes, the relative casualties would have shown a greater disproportion."

[John_Hartley]

A very low figure i think.

Neil

An "accident" of geography, if you will. The casualties of that day probably fell disproportionately on the urban areas, although my view of the losses leads me to suggest that the "whole communities devastated" theory is somewhat of a myth. In many urban areas, the number of deaths, whilst significant, are not that high as the "every street lost someone on 1 July" contention.

We do well not to forget that it was but one day in one battle of the war.

John

[NeilEvans]

Very true John.

One of my major issues is the way the battle of the somme is viewed/portrayed as one day battle like Agincourt and Waterloo, where in reality we know it went on for months.

By the end of November it may be fair to say 'whole communities devastated' by the battle.

Neil

[espiegle]

Remembering the six men whose Memorial Scrolls I am proud to have in my collection:

Lt Norman Henderson Bell- 1st Hampshires

2/Lt L A Carey- 2nd Devons

2/Lt Ralph Lodge- 15th Lancashire Fusiliers (1st Salford Pals)

Corporal J Sellars MM- 8th Yorks and Lancs

L/Cpl Charles Hand- 1/5th Sherwood Foresters

Private Arthur Normington- 2nd Bradford Pals

Of these Private Normington is the only one with an identified grave, the others are all on the Thiepval Memorial.

Andrew

[Guest geoff501]

We do well not to forget that it was but one day in one battle of the war.

I have only encountered one 1st July casualty in my research, my village lost five men within 10 minutes one day in 1917.